As Shinji waited for his partner to arrive, he took a look at note of the various crystals and candles scattered around the space. His eyes were immediately drawn to the ritual circle etched into the floor, and he couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine.
Carefully, he made his way over to the circle, examining it closely for any signs of disturbance or recent use. As he knelt down to get a better look, he noticed a few small scratches on the surface, as though someone had attempted to scrub away any evidence of its use.
He furrowed his brow, trying to piece together what had happened in this room. Had Sophia been performing some kind of ritual before she disappeared? And if so, what had gone wrong?
Feeling a sense of urgency, Shinji continued to scour the room for any other clues, examining the various crystals and other mystical objects in the hopes of finding something that could shed light on Sophia's whereabouts. But as he dug deeper, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something crucial, something that would ultimately lead him to the truth.
As he combed through the various items in the room, Shinji noticed that some of the candles appeared to have been burned down to the nub, as though they had been lit for an extended period of time.
He also noticed a small journal sitting on a nearby table, its pages filled with handwritten notes about different Rituals related to spirits and the dead. With a growing sense of dread, he flipped through the pages, looking for any clues about what Sophia might have been up to.
That's when he stumbled upon a particularly disturbing entry, one that made his blood run cold. In it, Sophia had written about a ritual that could supposedly transport a person to another realm, a place where they could communicate with spirits and gain new insights.
But as he read on, Shinji realized that this ritual was far from safe. In fact, it was downright dangerous, with the potential to trap someone in the other realm indefinitely if something went wrong.
From what he knew about Ritual magic was while anyone could do it. Normal people had to do these things on specific days like when constellation were correct for them. And even then they could probably won't be able to do a complex ritual as this.
He felt a knot form in his stomach as he thought about what Sophia might have been attempting, and he knew that he needed to find her before it was too late. With renewed determination, he continued his search, hoping that he would be able to uncover more clues and bring Sophia back to safety.
The idea of her being trapped in another realm indefinitely was ludicrous to Shinji but then he remembered that he was also from another relm and there was in fact another realm in this world.
Shaking his head shinji thought outloud. "She is probably talking about the spirit world."
The Spirit World is the world or realm inhabited by spirits, both good or evil of various spiritual manifestations.
According to Mireille the existence of the Spirit World was quite magical. It completely overlapped with the real world, so everyone could obtain revelations from the Spirit World at any time. Every person must be connected to the spirit world because one's Astral Projection is located there. It can obtain all kinds of abstract information, which is the reason why revelations can be obtained from divination.
However, the Spirit World didn't distinguish between directions, and the past, present, or future could even intersect there. It was like infinite knowledge, information, and illusions were spiritually gathered and compressed into a strange sea. It was different from the "world" as one would imagine according to usual concepts or logic. That was what worried him what of the girl had gotten himself stuck in there it would be next to impossible to find her and she may already be dead.
As he continued to search the room, his eyes fell upon a small box tucked away in the corner. It was decorated with intricate patterns and symbols that he didn't recognize, but he had a feeling it might hold some important clues.
With trembling hands, Shinji opened the box and began sifting through its contents. He found a few more crystals, some herbs and powders, and a small vial that was empty.
His mind raced as he tried to make sense of it all. These were the same ingredients that he had found on the table if the room he had woken up in. Was Sophia also a beyonder and who had introduced her to this world?
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside the door. He quickly closed the box and stood up, ready to face whoever was on the other side.
To his relief, it was his partner, Connor. He looked around the room, taking in the various mystical objects scattered about.
"What have we got here?" He asked, his eyes falling on the ritual circle on the floor.
Shinji quickly filled her in on what he had found so far, explaining about the journal, the dangerous ritual that Sophia had been attempting and that she might be a beyonder. Connor face grew grim as he listened.
They continued to search the room, examining every nook and cranny for any other clues. Connor noticed that a bookshelf had been moved around due to the minor scratch marks that unless someone focused on couldn't find.
As the both of them moved they found a door. As they pushed the door open slowly, trying not to make any noise. The room beyond was small and cramped, with a few scattered boxes and crates piled in the corners. But what caught his attention was the large metal trunk sitting in the center of the room.
It was covered in rust and looked as though it hadn't been opened in years. But Shinji had a hunch that it might contain something important, something that could help him find Sophia.
He walked over to the trunk and examined it closely, noticing that a small latch on the front. Without hesitation, he flipped it open, revealing a collection of small vials and potions inside. Each one was labeled with a different name and a set of instructions, but he couldn't make sense of them.
From what he had gathered Sophia had a deep understanding of ritual magic and the properties of different herbs and potions.
He began to study the labels and instructions more closely, trying to decipher their meaning. But the labels were of a language he didn't understand.
Finally collecting all the evidence Shinji and Connor left the house heading back to the office of the Machinery Hivemind.